by Jeremy Schaber

Created on: July 25, 2010

Genesis 6:2-4: “the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with [My spirit will not remain in] man forever for he is mortal [corrupt], his days will a hundred and twenty years. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days- and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” (alternate phrases or words added)

In the previous verse of chapter six of the book of Genesis the number of men beings to increase over the Earth and with that increase comes daughters and sons. If kept in proper context the only people who inhabit the Earth at this time are the descendants of Adam and Eve who include the descendants of Seth, his brothers and sisters and then there are the descendants of Cain and his wife. This is important because it explains a special phrasing that has seemed to trip up some people who read verses two through four. In verse two we encounter the phrase “sons of God” which some have interrupted as meaning angels when in actuality it is more likely referring to the descendants of Seth and his siblings while the phrase “sons of men” more likely is referring to the descendants of Cain. In time these lines begin intermarry which causes a problem for God whom it seems is forced to limit the amount of time a person can live to one hundred and twenty years though it doesn’t happen immediately as Scripture shows. This problem begins with Cain and comes to a head with his descendant found in chapter 4 verse nineteen: Lamech, son of Methushael.

In Scripture (Genesis 4: 18-24) when we are introduced to Lamech, son Methushael he has married two women: Adah and Zillah thereby committing bigamy for the first time. They produce three sons: Jabal, father of those who live in tents and raise livestock; Jubal, father of those who play the harp and flute and Tubal-Cain who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Though Scripture doesn’t directly say it more than likely they carried on their father’s tradition of marrying more than one wife which contradicts what God did with Adam only having one wife, Eve. Like his father Seth probably carried on that tradition through his descendants as Lamech’s sons probably carried on their father’s tradition. With multiple wives Lamech’s sons and their sons

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